Marking device construction



Dec. 7, 1965 R. w. sEEMAN MARKING DEVICE CONSTRUCTION Filed March ll, 1963 United States Patent O 3,221,360 MARKING DEVICE CONSTRUCTION Robert W. Seeman, Abington, Pa., assignor to Blaisdell Pencil Company, Bethayres, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 264,378 1 Claim. (Cl. 15--537) This invention relates to the art of marking devices, more particularly to an improved construction for these devices, implementing their fabrication and utilization.

A variety of marking devices have been evolved utilizing a marking tip maintained in fluid communication with a reservoir for marking ink or the like with marking ink passing by capillary action to the marking tip from the reservoir. The tip and the reservoir are supported by a barrel forming a handle element, and a cover is generally provided to enclose the marking tip when the device is not being used. As is the case with all items produced for mass distribution, it is desirable to form the marking device with a minimum of components subject to ready assembly with minimum handling, thus simplifying and reducing the cost of manufacture and maintenance. Since the marking uids employed are generally relatively volatile, it is necessary to enclose the marking tip, and the fluid reservoir during periods of non-use so as to prevent evaporation of the fluid. It is additionally desirable to insure complete enclosure of the marking tip during periods of non-use so as to prevent inadvertent marking of either the storage area or the hands of the user, and at the same time make certain that the tip is disposed for ready utilization when desired.

It is accordingly among the primary objects of this invention to provide an improved marking device of relatively simple construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a marking device in which the marking tip is oriented in desired position when the device is being utilized, and is covered and the marking fluid protected from evaporation during periods of non-use of the device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a marking device of a construction subject to eflcient fabrication.

According to the invention, the novel marking device is formed with a barrel providing a handle element. This barrel is of cylindrical configuration permitting ready manual gripping by the user. The barrel is hollow and is provided with annular retaining shoulders on opposite ends of the interior thereof. Slidably mounted within the cylindrical barrel is a reservoir similarly formed of a cylindrical configuration, and movable between limiting positions defined by the aforementioned annular shoulders. Within the reservoir a marking fluid retainer in the form preferably of a cylinder of sponge-like porous material such as cellulose, or the like, is provide. A marking tip assembly closes olf the open end of the reservoir and is secured to the reservoir by welding. The marking tip assembly and the reservoir are preferably formed of a thermoplastic material and the marking tip is desirably provided with marking tip engaging jaws serving to grip a felt marking tip and maintain same in fluid communication with the reservoir. Relatively air tight tip covering means in the form of a double walled cap assembly is provided which may be removably press tit into either end of the barrel. The cap assembly is provided with exterior walls engaging on the interior of the barrel, and a spaced interior wall adapted to surround and encapsulate the marking tip to maintain same in a relatively air tight enclosure.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of a double wall cap assembly serving to insure relative air tight enclosure of the marking tip and 3,221,360 Patented Dec. 7, 1965 reservoir when the marking device is not being employed so as to prevent vaporization of the marking fluid.

Another feature of the invention resides in the fact that the cap assembly serves to retract the marking tip within the barrel thus reducing the size of the marking device and protecting the marking tip from inadvertent contact with surfaces.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

FIG. l is an exploded perspective view of a marking device formed in accordance with the teachings of this invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the marking device when the marking tip is in operative extended position,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing the tip engaging jaws of the tip assembly,

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view on line 4 4 of FIG. 2 showing the exterior contour of the cap and the interrelationship between the interior and exterior walls of the cap assembly, and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view with parts broken away of the marking device when the cap is in position to enclose the marking tip in an air tight storage position.

Referring now to the drawings, the marking device 10 is shown to be provided with an exterior elongate hollow barrel 11 of cylindrical configuration, and preferably dimensioned so as to permit ready manual gripping. Within the interior of the barrel adjacent opposite ends thereof are annular shoulders providing a head end annular shoulder 13 `and a tip end annular shoulder 15 as best shown in FIG. 2. The tip end of the barrel 11 is preferably tapered as at 16.

Arranged slidably within the barrel 11 is a reservoir 20 also formed of a cylindrical configuration and preferably dimensioned so as to substantially extend across the interior cross section of the barrel 11. One end of the reservoir 20 is closed as at 21 and is provided with a base 22 having a ribbed recess 23 for the purpose hereinafter set forth. The opposite end of the reservoir 20 is formed with a relatively thin wall 24 surrounding an annular seat 25. Provided for seating on the seat 25 is marking tip assembly 26 forrned with a circumferential seating flange 29, adapted to abut against shoulder 15 to limit the movement of the assembly 26 in the reservoir 20. The reduced diameter skirt 30 beneath flange 29 seats on seat 25.

At the tip end 31 of assembly 26, which is circular in cross section, integral keys 32 and 33 are arranged to provide a space therebetween of a dimension such as to accommodate marking tip 35, which is rectangular in cross section as best shown in FIG. 3. The marking tip 35 is formed of felt or the like porous material and is inserted into the assembly 26 by slipping same into the space between the keys 32 and 33, and thereafter twisting the marking tip 35 through 90 so as to cause the keys 32 and 33 to grip the tip.

The cap assembly 4G is of a double walled configuration with an interior wall 41 of a cylindrical shape adapted to slide over the tip 31 of the marking tip assembly 26 as shown in FIG. 5 in a press fit relation thereto, while the outer cap wall 42 encompasses the body portion 27 of the marking tip assembly as best shown in FIG. 5. The interior wall 41 is maintained at a spaced distance with respect to the exterior wall 42 by means of webs 43, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Ribs 45, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, on cap assembly 40 extend along a part of the outer surface of exterior wall 42 and provide for press t engagement of the cap assembly 40 with the extremities of the barrel 11 outwardly of the shoulders 13 and 1S as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. Fluting 46 and fins 47 facilitate digital gripping of cap assembly 40 to effect turning to break the press fit bond between the cap assembly 40 and barrel 11.

It will be understood that the lengths of inner cap wall 41 and outer cap wall 42 are dimensioned so as to move the assembled reservoir and tip assembly 26 between its limiting position against anniulii 13 and 1S in barrel 11, when arranged respectively in a tip enclosing position as shown in FIG. 5, and in a tip extending position as shown in FIG. 2.

Ink retainer 50 in the form of a sponge-like porous mass is arranged within reservoir 20 in fluid communication with tip 35. In retainer 50 may be satisfactorily formed of cellulose or the like. In FIG. l the ink retainer 50 is illustratively shown extending outwardly from reservoir 20, but in use it is fully contained in the reservoir as shown in FIG. 2.

To assemble the marking pen, the ink retainer 50 is first placed within reservoir 20. The marking tip 35 is placed in operative position in assembly 26. This is accomplished by inserting the tip 35 in the rectangular space between keys 32 and 33 to a distance such that the end of the tip will extend slightly into the ink retainer 50, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. The marking tip 35 is then twisted to cause engagement of the tip 35 by the keys 32 and 33.

Thereafter, tip assembly 26 is positioned with skirt 30 within reservoir cartridge 20. The ribbed recess 23 of base 22 of reservoir 20 is engaged by an appropriate tool member adapted to seat within the recess 23, while tip assembly 26 is securely engaged by an appropriate clamping element. Rotation of either the reservoir 20 or the tip assembly 26 so as to provide relative movement between the tip assembly 26 and the reservoir 20 willgenerate sufficient heat at thin wall 24 of reservoir 20 so as to weld the skirt to the wall 24. It is of course understood that the ink retainer 50 is appropriately charged with suitable marking fluid prior to assembly.

The combined tip assembly 26 and reservoir 20 are then positioned within barrel 11 by forcing the combined tip assembly 26 and reservoir 20 into the barrel 11 from its rear end past annular shoulder 13. The reservoir 20 and barrel 11 are preferably made of a resilient material such as the conventionally readily available polyvinyl, styrenes or the like moldable or extrudable plastics. The resilient nature of the material permits ready assembly of the components as described.

Thereafter, when it is desired to use the marking device, cap assembly 40 is inserted at the head end 0f barrel 11 as shown in FIG. 2 with the free end of outer wall 42 forcing the reservoir 20 and associated tip assembly 26 to move toward the tip end of barrel 11 until the tip 35 is extended as shown in FIG. 2, the outward extension of tip being limited by annular shoulder 15 against which flange 29 abuts. Further movement of the cap assembly into the barrel 11 will cause the free end of outer wall 42 to engage over circular base 22 as shown in FIG. 2 to form a releasable press t.

When it is subsequently desired to enclose the marking tip 35 during periods of non-use, the cap assembly 40 is removed from the head end of barrel 11 by twisting and pulling the cap outwardly. Withdrawal of the cap assembly 40 from the head end of barrel 11 pulls the reservoir 20 and retracts tip assembly 26 into the barrel, since the free end of outer wall 42 is engaged with circular base 22 in press fit relationship.

Subsequent insertion of the cap assembly 40 into the tip end of barrel 11, as shown in FIG. 5, results in inner wall 41 of cap assembly 40 engaging the tip 31 of the tip assembly 26. As the cap 40 is moved into the tip end of the barrel 11, it will move the reservoir 20 and tip assembly inwardly until the annular shoulder 22 defined by base 22 abuts against shoulder 13. At this time the inner wall 41 will move over tip 31 in press fit relationship therewith, and the outer wall 42 will engage the body portion 27 of the tip assembly 26. Securement of the cap assembly within the barrel 11 is accomplished by ribs 45 engaging in press t relationship with respect to the end 16 of the barrel.

It is thus seen that a simple marking device has been provided having relatively few components, simple in manufacture and maintenance and providing positive extension and retraction of the marking tip of the device, with the tip when in retracted position, enclosed in a substantially air tight cap assembly.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claim, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A marking device comprising an elongated hollow barrel having a head end and a tip end, an ink containing reservoir slidably mounted in said barrel, said barrel having an internal tip end annular flange and an internal head end annular flange longitudinally spaced by a distance greater than the length 0f said reservoir to limit the slidable movement of said reservoir in said barrel, a tip assembly secured to one end of said reservoir independently of said barrel, said tip assembly having a sleeve extending axially of said reservoir and a marking tip of compressible material positioned in said sleeve having one end protruding from said sleeve and the other end in communication with said reservoir, the sleeve of said tip assembly having keys extending laterally inward from the inner wall of said sleeve and spaced from each other to provide a substantially rectangular space therebetween, said marking tip being insertable into said rectangular space, said tip being substantially rectangular in cross section and of smaller dimension than said rectangular space, whereby upon rotation of said tip in said rectangular space said keys will wedge into said compressible tip to effect secure retention of said tip in said sleeve, a cap assembly selectively insertable into either end of said barrel and adapted to react against said reservoir to move the latter axially in said barrel, said movement being limited by the respective internal flanges, said cap assembly having an outer sleeve adapted to engage the interior surface of the wall of said barrel at either end thereof and an inner sleeve adapted to encompass the sleeve of said 4tip assembly completely to enclose the marking tip in substantially an airtight fashion, whereby when said cap assembly is inserted into the head end of said barrel, said outer sleeve will abut against the associated end of said reservoir to move the latter toward the tip end of said barrel to expose said marking tip from said tip end for use and when the cap assembly is inserted into the tip end of said barrel said outer sleeve will abut against the associated end of said reservoir to move the latter toward the head end of said barrel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,392,840 3/ 1944 De Groft 15-537 3,057,000 10/ 1962 Rosenthal 15-563 FOREIGN PATENTS 781,214 8/ 1957 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. 

